New Broadway musical

Saved by elders

A show that mocks the pieties and sends its audience home laughing

THE musical had been declared dead. Broadway's producers have sunk millions into tarting up old classics or adapting Disney's latest gob of sugary goo in search of the next hit. But even tourists have tired of shelling out good money for dumb glitz—unless it involves the perverse thrill of watching a harnessed superhero fall from the rafters.

Now, like the ancient gold plates that Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, unearthed in upstate New York, the musical's saviour has come in an unexpected package. Debunking the myth that a popular show must be as inoffensive as oatmeal, along comes “The Book of Mormon”, which skewers any number of pieties, including religion, Western imperialism and Disney's “The Lion King”, all with great music to dance to.

The production is the work of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the men behind the cartoon television show “South Park”, now in its 14th year. With music from Robert Lopez (a talent behind “Avenue Q”, one of Broadway's longest running musicals), and confident direction and choreography from Casey Nicholaw, the show follows two young missionaries—the square-jawed Elder Price (Andrew Rannells) and the round, goofy Elder Cunningham (Josh Gad)—as they woo converts in Uganda.

With their white shirts, black ties and wholesome smiles, these men are the picture of well-meaning ignorance in a poor village ruled by a sadistic warlord. But the locals crave hope, which Elder Cunningham delivers with inventive stories about Joseph Smith: (“You shall not have sex with that infant”, thus the Lord spaketh). Suddenly the villagers all want to be baptised. The tales are ridiculous, but, after all, what religion is free from weirdness?

What makes “The Book of Mormon” work is its joyful mix of good music, knowing humour and unexpected compassion. Mormonism, an easy target, gets a grilling, but so do social conservatism, clichéd plot-lines and any sort of blind faith. Like “South Park” but a bit tamer, the show sends up human flaws and hypocrisy without malice. Some laughs come cheaply (the word “scrotum” could be used more sparingly), but most are earned and many are hearty. The result is a warm tribute to the glories of show business, with razzamatazzy numbers that come with a rare and welcome wink.